Marker system with marker and installation apparatus

1. A marker installation system, comprising: at least one marker for marking a ground surface, the marker comprising a shaft, the shaft having a bottom end and a top end, the shaft including an insertion portion for insertion into the ground, the insertion portion being located at the bottom end of the shaft, the shaft including a mast portion for extending above the ground surface when the insertion portion is at least partially inserted into the ground, the shaft including an engagement portion located between the insertion portion and the mast portion, the engagement portion being configured to resist further insertion of the shaft into the ground beyond the insertion portion; and a marker installation apparatus for inserting the at least one marker into a ground surface, the apparatus comprising: a magazine assembly defining a magazine space in which the at least one marker is positioned, the magazine space having a push position in the magazine space for receiving the at least one marker; and a push assembly mounted on the magazine assembly, the push assembly engaging the engagement portion of the shaft of the at least one marker when the marker is located in the push position, the push assembly pushing the marker from the push position of the magazine assembly when the push assembly is actuated; wherein an axis of the engagement portion of the at least one marker is oriented at a non-zero angle to an axis of the insertion portion; and wherein the angle measures between approximately 30 degrees and approximately 60 degrees.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein an axis along which the mast portion of the at least one marker extends is substantially parallel to an axis along which the insertion portion extends.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein an axis along which the mast portion of the at least one marker extends is offset from an axis along which the insertion portion extends.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein an axis along which the mast portion of the at least one marker extends is substantially parallel to an axis along which the insertion portion extends; and wherein the axis along which the mast portion extends is offset from the axis along which the insertion portion extends.

5. The system of claim 1 additionally comprising a visual indicator mounted on the shaft of the at least one marker.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the visual indicator comprises a flag mounted on the mast portion of the shaft of the at least one marker.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the angle measures between approximately 5 degrees and approximately 135 degrees.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein an angle between an axis of the engagement portion of the at least one marker and an axis of the insertion portion of the at least one marker is substantially equal to an angle between the axis of the engagement portion and an axis of the mast portion.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the magazine assembly of the marker installation apparatus includes a base member defining a shoulder configured to abut against the engagement portion of markers when the markers are positioned in the magazine space.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the push assembly of the marker installation apparatus comprises a push member being mounted on the base member, the push member being movably mounted in a barrel bore of the base member of the magazine assembly.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the push member has a marker engagement tab that is configured to engage the engagement portion of the at least one marker positioned in the push position.

12. The system of claim 1 additionally comprising a biasing assembly mounted on the magazine assembly and configured to bias the at least one marker in the magazine space toward the push position on the magazine assembly.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the biasing assembly comprises: at least one slider member mounted on the magazine assembly and configured to contact any markers positioned in the magazine space, the at least one slider member being movable in the magazine space toward and away from the push position, and a biasing element configured to bias the slider member toward the push position such that the at least one slider contacts and biases any markers in the magazine space toward the push position.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the slider member defines a well, and the biasing element of the biasing assembly comprises a coiled spring located in the well and having a free end fastened to the magazine assembly, the biasing assembly being configured such that movement of the slider member with respect to the magazine assembly away from the push position tends to unwind the coiled spring and movement of the slider member with respect to the magazine assembly toward the push position such that the coiled spring tends to bias the slider member toward the push position.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the magazine assembly defines a barrel bore and a tab slot, the tab slot being in communication with the barrel bore and the magazine space; and wherein the push assembly comprises a push member having a portion positioned in the barrel bore and a marker engagement tab positioned in the tab slot and extending into the magazine space in a manner permitting the push tab to engage the engagement portion of a marker when the marker is positioned in the push position.